{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,5,15]],"date-time":"2026-05-15T18:09:40Z","timestamp":1778868580050,"version":"3.51.4"},"reference-count":23,"publisher":"Public Library of Science (PLoS)","issue":"5","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,5,15]],"date-time":"2026-05-15T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1778803200000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"http:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":["www.plosone.org"],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["PLoS One"],"abstract":"<jats:sec id=\"sec001\">\n                    <jats:title>Background<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>Home-based blood self-sampling for HIV-1 viral load (VL) monitoring has the potential to alleviate pressure on healthcare systems by reducing clinic visits for people with HIV. This study evaluates the feasibility and reliability of HIV-RNA measurements in self-sampled blood and in viremic samples.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec id=\"sec002\">\n                    <jats:title>Methods<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>Between September 2024 and March 2025 participants were recruited at the outpatient clinic. Self-sampled blood was collected using the TassoPlus device at home and compared to conventional HIV-RNA testing from the same individual. Only samples containing a minimum volume of 200 \u03bcL plasma were deemed eligible for analysis. Also, 30 stored viremic samples (HIV-1 RNA 100\u2013950 copies\/mL) aliquoted into 200 \u03bcL volumes were included and compared to conventional HIV-RNA testing. The Alinity m HIV-1 assay (Abbott), validated for low plasma volumes, was used for all samples. Agreement was assessed using Pearson correlation and Bland-Altman analysis. Sample quality was assessed based on plasma volume and clotting. User-friendliness of the TassoPlus was evaluated through a questionnaire.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec id=\"sec003\">\n                    <jats:title>Results<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>Of the 62 participants (median age 56 [46\u201366]; 81% male), 63% (n\u2009=\u200938) returned the sample, yielding a mean plasma volume of 207 \u03bcL (range:10\u2013550). Of these, 18 samples (29%) were excluded due to insufficient volume for analysis. HIV-RNA in both self-sampled and stored samples (n\u2009=\u200950), correlated with conventional samples (r\u2009=\u20090.800). However, in four low-volume viremic samples, HIV-RNA was\u2009&lt;100 copies\/mL, while conventional sampling detected 148, 260, 501 and 759 copies\/mL, respectively. Bland-Altman analysis showed a mean difference of 0.08 log copies\/mL (95%LOA:-0.79\u20130.95) between conventional sampled blood and low-volume samples (self-sampled\/stored samples). No clotting was observed. Furthermore, 57% of participants expressed interest in using the TassoPlus, and 48% rated its usability as easy or very easy.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec id=\"sec004\">\n                    <jats:title>Discussion<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>Self-sampling with TassoPlus presents challenges, including high rates of unsuccessful sampling and potential failure to detect low-level viremia. Therefore, significant refinements are essential for reliable clinical use.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>","DOI":"10.1371\/journal.pone.0348579","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,5,15]],"date-time":"2026-05-15T17:24:45Z","timestamp":1778865885000},"page":"e0348579","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1371\/journal.pone.corrections_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["Feasibility and reliability of decentralized HIV-1 viral load monitoring on self-sampled blood"],"prefix":"10.1371","volume":"21","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0009-0000-3565-2736","authenticated-orcid":true,"given":"Kyra F.","family":"Mendes de Leon","sequence":"first","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Suzanne","family":"Jurriaans","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Roos D.","family":"Klungers","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Janke","family":"Schinkel","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-2616-1414","authenticated-orcid":true,"given":"Pythia T.","family":"Nieuwkerk","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-8290-6425","authenticated-orcid":true,"given":"Marc","family":"van der Valk","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]}],"member":"340","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,5,15]]},"reference":[{"issue":"5","key":"pone.0348579.ref001","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","DOI":"10.1016\/S2352-3018(23)00028-0","article-title":"Life expectancy after 2015 of adults with HIV on long-term antiretroviral therapy in Europe and North America: a collaborative analysis of cohort studies","volume":"10","author":"A Trickey","year":"2023","journal-title":"Lancet HIV"},{"key":"pone.0348579.ref002","volume-title":"HIV treatment and care: what\u2019s new in treatment monitoring: viral load and CD4 testing: information note","author":"World Health Organization"},{"key":"pone.0348579.ref003","unstructured":"U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. HIV clinical guidelines: plasma HIV-1 RNA & CD4 monitoring. [cited 2025 Sept 16]. Available from: https:\/\/clinicalinfo.hiv.gov\/en\/guidelines\/hiv-clinical-guidelines-adult-and-adolescent-arv\/plasma-hiv-1-rna-cd4-monitoring"},{"key":"pone.0348579.ref004","unstructured":"European AIDS Clinical Society. EACS Guidelines Version 12.0. [Internet]. October 2023 [cited 2025 Sept 16]. Available from: https:\/\/www.eacsociety.org\/media\/guidelines-12.0.pdf"},{"key":"pone.0348579.ref005","volume-title":"Monitoring Report 2025. Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) Infection in the Netherlands","author":"AI van Sighem","year":"2025"},{"key":"pone.0348579.ref006","article-title":"Control of HIV across the WHO European region: progress and remaining challenges","volume":"52","author":"M Parczewski","year":"2025","journal-title":"Lancet Reg Health Eur"},{"key":"pone.0348579.ref007","volume-title":"Stand van de zorg 2024","author":"Dutch Healthcare Authority (NZa)","year":"2024"},{"issue":"4","key":"pone.0348579.ref008","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"100","DOI":"10.7812\/TPP\/23.022","article-title":"Benefits and challenges of remote patient monitoring as perceived by health care practitioners: a systematic review","volume":"27","author":"LP Serrano","year":"2023","journal-title":"Perm J"},{"issue":"2","key":"pone.0348579.ref009","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"231","DOI":"10.3390\/jpm12020231","article-title":"Preliminary acceptability of a home-based peripheral blood collection device for viral load testing in the context of analytical treatment interruptions in HIV cure trials: results from a nationwide survey in the United States","volume":"12","author":"K Dub\u00e9","year":"2022","journal-title":"J Pers Med"},{"key":"pone.0348579.ref010","volume-title":"Tasso+ [Internet]","author":"Tasso Inc"},{"issue":"5","key":"pone.0348579.ref011","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","DOI":"10.1136\/bmjopen-2020-046393","article-title":"Patient-generated data in the management of HIV: a scoping review","volume":"11","author":"C Hewitt","year":"2021","journal-title":"BMJ Open"},{"issue":"7","key":"pone.0348579.ref012","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","DOI":"10.1128\/spectrum.00030-24","article-title":"Evaluation of the Tasso+ blood self-collection device for quantitation of plasma cytomegalovirus (CMV) DNAemia in adult solid organ transplant recipients (SOTr)","volume":"12","author":"T Phan","year":"2024","journal-title":"Microbiol Spectr"},{"issue":"1","key":"pone.0348579.ref013","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"459","DOI":"10.1186\/s12879-022-07432-0","article-title":"Feasibility of a novel self-collection method for blood samples and its acceptability for future home-based PrEP monitoring","volume":"22","author":"CA Cannon","year":"2022","journal-title":"BMC Infect Dis"},{"issue":"2","key":"pone.0348579.ref014","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","DOI":"10.1136\/rmdopen-2022-002641","article-title":"Remote self-collection of capillary blood using upper arm devices for autoantibody analysis in patients with immune-mediated inflammatory rheumatic diseases","volume":"8","author":"J Zarbl","year":"2022","journal-title":"RMD Open"},{"issue":"2","key":"pone.0348579.ref015","article-title":"Sample size for assessing agreement between two methods of measurement by Bland-Altman method","volume":"12","author":"M-J Lu","year":"2016","journal-title":"Int J Biostat"},{"key":"pone.0348579.ref016","author":"Tasso, Inc","year":"2025"},{"key":"pone.0348579.ref017","volume-title":"Summary of safety and effectiveness data: alinity m HIV-1","author":"U.S. Food and Drug Administration","year":"2022"},{"key":"pone.0348579.ref018","unstructured":"Castor Electronic Data Capture. Castor; 2019 [cited 19 Sep 2025]. Available from: https:\/\/castoredc.com"},{"issue":"2","key":"pone.0348579.ref019","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"115770","DOI":"10.1016\/j.diagmicrobio.2022.115770","article-title":"Evaluation of independent self-collected blood specimens for COVID-19 antibody detection among the US veteran population","volume":"104","author":"T Mohammed","year":"2022","journal-title":"Diagn Microbiol Infect Dis"},{"key":"pone.0348579.ref020","author":"European AIDS Clinical Society","year":"2023"},{"key":"pone.0348579.ref021","volume-title":"The role of HIV viral suppression in improving individual health and reducing transmission [Internet]","author":"World Health Organization","year":"2023"},{"issue":"2","key":"pone.0348579.ref022","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","DOI":"10.1371\/journal.pone.0085869","article-title":"Systematic review of the performance of HIV viral load technologies on plasma samples","volume":"9","author":"KA Sollis","year":"2014","journal-title":"PLoS One"},{"key":"pone.0348579.ref023","volume-title":"Infectious diseases laboratory test directory [Internet]","author":"Centers for Disease Control and Prevention","year":"2024"}],"container-title":["PLOS One"],"original-title":[],"language":"en","link":[{"URL":"https:\/\/dx.plos.org\/10.1371\/journal.pone.0348579","content-type":"unspecified","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2026,5,15]],"date-time":"2026-05-15T17:24:50Z","timestamp":1778865890000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"https:\/\/dx.plos.org\/10.1371\/journal.pone.0348579"}},"subtitle":[],"editor":[{"given":"Yury E","family":"Khudyakov","sequence":"first","affiliation":[],"role":[{"role":"editor","vocabulary":"crossref"}]}],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2026,5,15]]},"references-count":23,"journal-issue":{"issue":"5","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,5,15]]}},"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1371\/journal.pone.0348579","relation":{},"ISSN":["1932-6203"],"issn-type":[{"value":"1932-6203","type":"electronic"}],"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[2026,5,15]]}}}